For Professionals 55+ Ready to Build Something New

You Spent 30 Years Building Expertise.

Now Turn It Into Income.

Evaluate every second-act income path — consulting, coaching, courses, franchise ownership, fractional work, and business acquisition — and find the right one for your life. Earning $3–10K+/month on your terms, without risking your retirement savings.

Proven, low-risk systems from a former CFO. Building in real-time at 63.

Get the Free Weekly Newsletter →

Join 2,850+ professionals designing their second act. Every Tuesday, free.

Where to Start

Three Ways to Build With Us

Newsletter

Retirepreneur Weekly

Proven strategies for building second-act income — consulting, coaching, courses, franchises, and business acquisition. Actionable insights every Tuesday — from a CPA building in real-time at 63.

→ Subscribe Free

Free Resource Library

Retirepreneur Hub

Complete guides for second-act income models. Templates, checklists, and vetted tools covering every path from consulting to franchise ownership. Free access — no credit card required.

→ Get Free Access

Tools and Reviews

RP Resource Center

Business tools personally tested by a former CFO. Vetted for consulting practices, course creators, franchise evaluation, and business acquisition. Honest reviews you can trust.

→ Browse Resources

The Business Models That Work for Professionals 55+

Start with what fits your life — then go deep.

Every path below leverages what you already know, requires minimal startup capital, and offers the schedule flexibility retirement demands. The right model depends on your background, risk tolerance, lifestyle goals, and how you want to spend your time.

Consulting

Provide strategic advice and solutions based on your specialized knowledge. Package 30+ years of problem-solving into paid client engagements.

Typical rates: $100–$250/hour

Project values: $5K–$50K

Startup cost: $500–$1,000

Best for: Executives, managers, subject matter experts

Coaching

Guide individuals through challenges you've already navigated. Your career experience and life wisdom are your primary credential — no certification required.

Package rates: $500–$5,000

Group coaching: $97–$297/month

Startup cost: $500–$2,000

Best for: Career changers, life experience, leadership backgrounds

Courses

Create once, sell repeatedly. Package your expertise into structured programs that generate income while you sleep, travel, or take on consulting clients.

Course pricing: $197–$997

Memberships: $19–$99/month

Startup cost: $1,000–$5,000

Best for: Teachers, framework builders, scalable income goals

Franchise Ownership

Buy a proven business system with franchisor support. Skip the startup phase and operate a business with an established brand, training, and customer acquisition system.

Investment range: $50K–$500K+

Semi-absentee models available: Yes

Startup timeline: 3–9 months from search to open

Best for: Operations-minded professionals with capital, management experience, and a preference for proven systems over building from scratch.

Fractional Executive Work

Deploy your C-suite expertise across multiple clients without the politics of full-time corporate. Fractional CFOs, CMOs, and COOs command serious fees for part-time engagements.

Typical fees: $3,000–$15,000/month per client

Client acquisition: Primarily through existing network

Startup cost: Under $1,000

Best for: Former executives with deep functional expertise and an active professional network.

→ Find Your Right Model — Start Here

The Still Building Story

I'm Not Teaching from the Finish Line. I'm Building Alongside You.

At 62, I enrolled in a master's degree program in entrepreneurship. At 63, I'm building Retirepreneur in real-time — running Facebook ads, launching tools, writing every newsletter, and figuring out what actually works for professionals 55+ who want to turn expertise into income.

My background is finance — 40+ years as a CPA and CFO. That lens shapes everything here: conservative, data-driven, capital-light. No guru hustle. No passive income fantasies. Just practical, risk-adjusted guidance for people who cannot afford to experiment recklessly with retirement savings.

That same lens now covers every second-act vehicle — not just the 3Cs — because your audience deserves a complete picture before committing to any path.

"No one can discriminate against a business owner. Your expertise doesn't expire. Your network doesn't retire. Your judgment only improves."

→ Read the Full Story

From the Blog

Start Reading

Business Models

Business Ideas for Retirees: The Complete 2026 Guide

Consulting, coaching, franchises, and home-based businesses — a CPA-backed breakdown of every model with real startup costs and income potential.

→ Read the Guide

Getting Started

How to Build a Second Act Business for Professionals 55+

A step-by-step framework for professionals transitioning from corporate careers to consulting, coaching, or course businesses — without risking retirement security.

→ Read the Guide

Validation

How to Validate Your Consulting Offer Before You Build It

The biggest mistake new consultants make is building before validating. Here's the conversation-first approach that confirms demand before you invest a single hour.

→ Read the Guide

→ View All Articles

Stay Connected

Follow the Build

I document the Retirepreneur build in real-time across three platforms. Follow along and watch what actually works — and what doesn't.

Professional Insights

Weekly carousels and CFO-lens commentary on second-act entrepreneurship. Targeted engagement with professionals navigating the same transition.

→ Follow on LinkedIn

YouTube

The Retirepreneur Channel

Weekly videos applying a CPA and CFO lens to the decisions professionals 55+ are actually making — consulting rates, retirement math, IRMAA thresholds, franchise evaluation, and how to package expertise into income.

→ Subscribe on YouTube

Podcast

The Retirepreneur Podcast

A deeper discussion of each week's newsletter topic. Practical explainers on consulting, coaching, and course businesses — built for your commute or morning walk.

→ Listen to the Podcast

Still Building. Follow the real story.

Every Tuesday at 9am

Turn Expertise Into Income —
One Tuesday at a Time

Join thousands of professionals 55+ who receive proven strategies for building second-act income — consulting, coaching, courses, franchise, and acquisition analysis. Free, weekly, and built by someone building alongside you.

✓Weekly strategies from a former CFO

✓Real-time build updates (Still Building)

✓Consulting, coaching, courses, franchise, and acquisition analysis

✓No spam, unsubscribe any time

Subscribe Free →

Still Building. — Curt Roese, CPA | Founder, Retirepreneur® | M.S. Entrepreneurship, University of Florida